Sanitary pipe coupling



June 9, 1942. I D. QUINN; 2,286,105

SANITARY PIPE COUPLING Filed April 17, 1940 k? w INVENTOR. 1 9 'hr-dsi'a/y/z sw Z). qainiz 7 MWQ ATTORNEY.-

Patented June 9, 1942 SANITARY PIPE COUPLING Christopher D. Quinn, New York, N. Y., assignor UNITED "STATE to Cherry-Burro] Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation I Application April 17, 1940, Serial No. 330,013

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in easily assembled and disassembled pipe couplings.

More particularly the invention relates to separable and connectible couplings for separably Unless the coupling nut or element is oi the multi-sectional type, of which there are some on the market, it cannot be removed laterally or placed onto the abutting ends of pipe sections joining the ends of pipe sections in a readily and 5 from a lateral position. A up in l m quickly connectible and separable manner. which can be positioned onto the pipe section Although the invention is readily applicable to after his placed in assembled position and after various types of couplings other than pipe couit has been provided with ferruled ends solves plings, it is particularly well adapted for use in various of the difl'icult pro l ms in h a connecting the ends of sanitary pipe sections, ment and assembly of piping. The multi-secsuch as are commonly used in the handling or tioned laterally removable coupling elements of foodstufis, in which use thepipe sections must the conventional typ wever, are normally be frequently uncoupled, cleaned and re-coupled. comprised of a plurality of sectional parts result- In the processing of foodstuffs it is convening in a weakened structure as well as a more tional practice to frequently clean the apparatus 5 costly construction. used in the handling of the product, including Inthe assembly of a section of pip Provided the sanitary piping, couplings and fittings. Obviwith enlarged ferrules at its ends which arenorously much time is consumed incidental to such mally Sweated e O tO. t ge W coupling dismantling or disassembling and re-assembly elements or nuts teleseoped over the pi between operations. Frequently it is also difficult to sep- ,.20 the ferrules, it is normally a cumbers me P arate and re-couple certain pipe sections in a cedure to fix the collars of ferrules to the ends processing plant due to the lack of suflicient of the pipes due to the interference from the clearance between the abutting ends of, pipe seceasily Sliding u i nutS- H in the tions to permit the ready removal, re-insertion conventional assembly of a pipe section the couand adjustment of coupling elements or sections. p ing elements must be teleseope Over the p p A very common and, it may be said, convensection before the enlarged ferrule is assembled tional arrangement or assembly of elements comthereontb for the very obvious reason that norprising parts of a pipe system is a length of pipe yfithe co p u is P d w t a eprovided at its ends with collars or ferrules ctlng flange which will not pass over the adapted to sealingly engage complementary eleshoulder on the coup u ements on the ends of abutting pipe sections. In the laterally removable coupling e e e ts Such sealing engagement is normally secured of the conventional ty the resulting plin and maintained by the use of flanged and ini normally weakened and usually more C mpliternally threaded coupling elements or coupling Gated and more diflicult to pp y for the reason nuts telescoped onto the respective pipe sections that it normally S comprised of a plurality of from which they cannot be removed, These sectional elements, all Of which must be assemcoupling elements are adapted to overlappingly bled onto the ends of the abutting pipe sections. engage the ferruled ends of one *of the abutting Those u ng elem n s of nv nti nal d sign. pipe ti a d engage screw th ad i th which are laterally removable normally are .not ferrule of the other abutting pipe section. 40 readily a nta upo elements o the P p Obviously such an arrangement presents difsections to be coupled t e e be o e the couflcult problems in connection with the cleaning Fling Operation is started y threading e eof the inner surfaces of the coupling elements or onto the Other- In other Words, the 0011- nuts which normally cannot be removed from Plmg elements of thelaterany removable type the pipe section onto which they were telescoped mus t normally be held m position'by the operator before the enlarged ferrules were secured to the unt11 the p g e ements are at least joined. ends thereof. The difficulty experienced in the It Is al quite thahin an assembly of cleaning of the interior of such coupling elements pipe-5801110! t q wlth the conventional type is especially serious when the pipe sections are of cquphng It Is not normally possible to h t d th nt f h substitute for the conventional coupling nut a Very S or an e P0551 e moveme e modified coupling element which is laterally recompanying elements away: fmm h enlarged" movable over the pipe sections, which is interferrules on h e of the D1PeSi$1hn1Ped,theTe' changeable with the conventional coupling nut y p v nting ea y access to the e o and which, after being placed in coupled position,

coupling elements.

is applied to the pipe sections in substantially thesame manner as the conventional coupling nut. I

In the sanitary coupling element as illustrated the female element is provided with a beveled seat on its inner surface, andis provided with coupling nut engaging threads on its outer surface which extend through the extreme forward end of the female coupling element. This construction enables the compact and structurally superior construction of a coupling in which the threads of the coupling nut and the threads of the outer surface of the female element are in supporting engagement as close to the retaining flange of the coupling nut which engages the male element as possible. Obviously, by providing the outer surface of the female element with the nut engaging threads immediately adjacent the end of the female element, it is possible to use a narrower nut and yet maintain a predetermined distance of engagement between the threads of the coupling nut and the threads on the outer surface of the female element than would be possible if the nut engaging threads were provided on the outer surface of a male element of a coupling of the type disclosed in this invention.

The prime objects and advantages of the present invention are, therefore, to provide a coupling for pipe sections and the like which enables the easy assembly of pipe sections in close quarters; which may be easily removed from the pipe sections to permit inspection and cleaning; in which the fabrication of the ferruled pipe sections is facilitated by eliminating the necessity.

of placing coupling elements on the pipe sections merals are used to identify like parts, 5 represents the end of a pipe section to be coupled in sealed communication with the adjacent end 6 of an adjacent pipe section. The ends 5 and 6 of the adjacent pipe section are provided with ferrules or collars I and 8, respectively. The ferrule 'I is provided at its free end with an outer peripheral flange 9 having an outwardly beveled front face [0 and a perpendicular laterally extending rear face II. The beveled face Ill, when the various elements of the coupling are assembled, is adapted to sealingly engage a complementary inwardly beveled face l2 in the adjacent end of the ferrule 8 which is provided on its outer periphery with screw threads l3.

These screw threads l3 extend to the outer end of the ferrule 8 and overlap the inwardly beveled face or seat l2, thereby enabling the engagement of the complementary screw threads in the coupling nut as close as possible to the compression flange of the nut, resulting in a more compact and structurally superior combination of elements in which a predetermined amount of engagement between the threads of the coupling nut and the threads on the outer surface of the coupling element is obtainable. This is readily distinguishable from a construction in which the screw threads l3 do not extend to the end of the coupling element, thereby necessitating a broader nutto secure the same amount of threaded vengagement between the coupling nut and the coubefore the ferrules are sweated thereonto; in

which the coupling element is laterally removable and yet comprises a unitary construction of substantially the saine strength as the conventional coupling element; in which the coupling element may be applied and tightened as readily and in substantially the same manner as the conventional coupling nut and used interchangeably therewith; in which the cooperative coupling elements and the coupling nut are so constructed as to provide a compact and structurally advantageous and superior coupling less costly to produce; and in which the laterally removable coupling element is provided with necessary structural features so as to hang on the end of a pipe section after being positioned thereon preparatory to coupling the ends of the adjacent pipe sections together.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, which will become more apparent as the invention is better understood, are preferably accomplished as illustrated in the preferred embodiment of the invention in a sanitary pipe coupling. The organization and method of operation will best be understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse elevational sectional view of a ferruled end of a pipe section partially inserted into a coupling element which is shown in partially broken away sectional end elevation.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the parts of the improved coupling in relative order of assembly showing the improved coupling nut in perspective.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through an assembled coupling of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the figures, in which like nupling element.

To secure and maintain the beveled sealing and centering faces l0 and I2 in sealing engagement and to prevent any relative lateral motion of the ends 5 and 6 of the pipe sections, a' coupling nut or element It having internal screw threads l5 complementary to screw threads i3 is secured onto the threaded end of the ferrule 8. The coupling nut or element It is provided on its face adjacent the ferrule l with a partial skirt H5 or a longitudinally extending segment of an annular flange which is provided at its free end with an arcuate flange or internal segment of an annular rib I! having an inner face l8 perpendicular to the axis of the nut I l. Theinner face l8 of the segment rib I1 is adapted to engage the rear face i I of the flange 9 on the collar or ferrule l which is overlapped by the skirt or longitudinally extending flange l6 of the coupling nut IE. By this arrangement it is 'possible to draw the beveled sealing and centering faces l0 and H into sealing and centering engagement by tightening the nut I4 upon the threaded ferrule 8.

In the conventional coupling nut the skirt orflange comparable to the skirt or flange l6 of the improved coupling nut is, of course, of a continuous annular construction. The inwardly extending rib of the conventional coupling nut which is comparable to the segmental annular rib I! which has an internal diameter less than the outer diameter of the flange 9 on the ferrule I is also of continuous annular construction.

As previously commented, in the assembly of pipe sections the coupling element or nut is telescoped over the pipe sections and the flanged ferrules are then sweated or otherwise secured onto the ends of the sections, thereby locking the coupling nut or nuts onto the pipe sections. Such procedure presents difficulties in the operation of sweating the ferrules onto the ends of the pipe due to the fact that the coupling elements or nuts which are free to move on the pipe section obstruct the free and easy manipulation of the pipe section in the process of sweating the ferrules thereonto.

It is,of course, also obvious that the coupling nuts, hen unremovably locked on the pipe section, become very dimcult to clean, especially the inner surface of the coupling nuts. The improved coupling nut included in' the instant invention obviates these difficulties, as well as skirt l5 and inwardly directed rib 11 through approximatelyv one-third of their normal circumference. The internally threaded coupling nut l4 remains intact. The ends of the inner periphery of the annular rib H are provided with parallel flat faces l9 substantially tangent to the inner circular periphery of the rim II.

The essential element with respect to the spec'- ing of the faces I9 is that they must be spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit the ready passage of the ferrule I therebetween. In like manner the major'portion of the width of the inner peripheral surface of the skirt I8 is provided with opposed parallel fiat faces 20, as shown in the drawing. In the drawings the faces are shown as extensions of cords of a segment of the circle defined in part by the inner periphery of the skirt l6. However, the essential element with respect to the space between the parallel faces 20 is that they must be spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit the ready passage of the flange 9 therebetween. To enable the placing'of a coupling nut or element onto the ferruled end of pipe 5 and the retention of the nut thereon in coupling position until it is coupled to the, threaded ferrule on the end of pipe 6, the remaining portion 2| of the width of the inner peripheral surface of the ends of the skirt I6 is left intact thereby in effect providing oppositely disposed projections which are spaced closer together than the maximum eter of flange 9 on ferrule '1.

Figure 2 also shows the end of the rearmost threads in the nut 14 cut away. However, this is not essential in that the width of the skirt l6 between the rearmost thread l5 of the coupling nut l4 and the inner face I8 of the rib I1 is wider than the flange 9 with its beveled front face I0. To assemble the pipe coupling employing the improved coupling nut and the remaining aspects of the present invention, it is only necessary to place the ferruled ends of the pipe sections of the type illustrated in close juxtaposed position, leaving enough space therebetween to receive the coupling nut H. The portion of the coupling nut 14 devoid of the skirt I6 is inserted between the adjacent ends of the pipe sections with the skirt l6 overlapping the flange 9, the rear face H of which is slidably engaging the inner front face 18 of the rib IT, as shown in Figure l. The coupling nut II is moved into alinement with the pipe sections until the flange 9 rests in the curved portion of the skirt ii at which time the threads l5 of the coupling nut l4 may be engaged with the threads l3 on the ferrule 8 on the remaining pipe sections. By tightening outer diamthe nut ll into the ferrule 8 the ends of the ferruled pipe sections will be brought into sealing and centering engagement with the complementary faces in and I2, maintaining the sections in centered relation to prevent any possible lateral motion thereof, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3.

If, after placing the coupling nut 14 on the end of pipe 5, as just described, but before the threads of nut 14 are engaged with the threads on the ferrule 8, it is desired to let the skirted coupling nut ll hang on the end of pipe 5, it

is only necessary to move the coupling nut l4 toward the left until face ll of flange 9 engages face l8 of flange ll. Then, by lowering the nut H slightly, the opposed elements 2| of the ends of the inner surface of the skirt l6 which have not been cut away to provide the flat surfaces 20. will engage opposed points on the upper outer surface of the flange 8 to act as pivot points for supporting the nut ll on the ferruled end of the pipe 6. The entire construction and relative di-.

mensioning of the various elements of the ferrules, coupling nut, etc., are such that the nut It can pivot only slightly on the points 2| until the lower surface of ferrule 1 will engage the adjacent surface of flange I! on the skirt I6 of'the coupling nut H to thereby prevent the further tilting of the nut l4 until it would be in position to become disengaged from the ferruled end of the pipe 5.

It should, of course, also he remembered that the coupling nut l4 may be suspended or hung on the end of the pipe 5 by merely slipping thecoupling nut back onto the pipe just as one would slide an over-sized ring onto the pipe to suspend it there. This is readily possible since the ferruled end of the pipe is placed in posi-- tion on the coupling nut by a lateral insertion through the slotted side of the nut and the inner threaded portion of the nut is of a larger diameter than the outer periphery of the ferrule 9, thereby permitting the ready movement of the nut onto the pipe 5 for suspension until the operator is disposed to use it in coupling the ends of the pipes 5 and 6.

According to the previous description, the invention includes a novel coupling nut which,- when placed in cooperation with the remaining elements of the sanitary pipe coupling, provides a coupling assemblage which is easy to assemble even in cramped quarters; which may be easily removed from the pipe sections.-for inspection and cleaning; which permits the easy assemblage v of the ferrules on the sections of the pipe due.

to the fact that the easily slidable couping nuts do not need 'to be telescoped onto the ends of the pipe sections before the ferrules have been sweated thereonto; which may be laterally removed from the pipe sections while, in coupled position; which is of a unitary construction and substantially the same strength as the conventional couping nut; which is interchangeable with the conventional coupling nut in a pipe coupling; in which the inter-cooperating elements are so arranged as to provide a compact, structurally superior coupling; and which can be assembled and tightened as readily and in substantially the same manner as the conventional coupling nut.

In the, drawing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated. Obviously various modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the invention herein disclosed. The

invention, however, is not to be restricted except in so far as it is necessary in view of the prior art and the spirit of the appended claim.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows: An article 01 manufacture comprising a coupling nut having a segmental, internally ribbed end, said coupling nut being adapted for use in the coupling of ferruledends of pipe sections, said segmental end of said coupling comprising in substance at major segment of a circle and having a pair of opposed fiat faces at the ends of the segment of the wall of said nut and a pair of opposed flat faces at the ends or the segment being spaced apart a sufilclent distance as to permit the ready lateral insertion of a pipe section carrying an elongated ferruled end by moving the pipe section laterally through the ends of the segmental rib. and inwardly projecting elements at one side of the inner ends of said segmental wall, said projecting elements being spaced apart a distance less than that required for the-lateral insertion of the ferruled end of the pipe section but greater than that required for the lateral insertion of the pipe section, whereby after the ferruled end of the Pipe section has been laterally inserted through between the ends of the segment of the wall of the coupling nut it maybe engaged with said projecting elements'to thereby support said coupling nut on the ferruled end of the pipe section.

CHRISTOPHER D. QUINN.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,286,105. 7 June 9, 19 2.

CHRISTOPHER n. Qunm.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above nmpbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the grant, lines 2 and 15, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 1;, name of aseignee,rfor "Cherry- Burrel" reed --Cherry-Burrell--'; page 2, second column, linelfl, for "segment" reed '--segmenta1-; page 5, first column, line 15, after "having" insert --e.--; line 25, for "rim 17" read --rib l7--; line 55, for "drawing" reed -dra.winge-; and'second column, line 1,, for "into" read --onto--; lines 55 and 62, forcouping" read --coup1ing--'; page 14,, first column, line 8, in the claim, before the word "comprising" insert- 111115"; and that the said Letters Patent should be reed with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed n11; 22nd. day of September, A. 1). 191m,

. Henry Van :Aradale,

(Seal) 'Acting Comiesiorier of Patents. 

